Shorts suffered a strain in his hamstring during the first practice of training camp on July 26. The initial prognosis was that Shorts would miss at least two weeks. He missed most of the offseason program with a calf strain.

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There's still roughly a month left until the Jaguars open the season at Philadelphia on Sept. 7. Sullivan, in his 42nd year of coaching, is hopeful Shorts will be able to return to practice well before that date. He used an analogy from Jaguars coach Gus Bradley to make his point.

"I don't care if you play 10 years, you still need work," Sullivan said. "I don't care who you are or how long you've played. Because you've been there, it helps you, but it's not the same. It's kind of like Gus says, 'You can't learn how to swim by reading a book. You have to get in the water.'"

The Jacksonville Jaguars lack playmakers at the wide receiver position, so any injury is going to be alarming. The panic is magnified when it involves Cecil Shorts, who is the team's best outside weapon.

According to head coach Gus Bradley, via Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com, Shorts suffered a hamstring injury during practice on Saturday:

Shorts' stature on Jacksonville's roster has grown exponentially during his three years with the team. He entered the league without a lot of hype as a fourth-round pick in 2011 yet has turned into one of the few reliable options on the team.

Playing in an offense that has had an unstable quarterback situation, Shorts has registered 121 receptions for 1,756 yards and 10 touchdowns since the start of 2012.

Blaine Gabbert was the Jaguars' first pick the year Shorts was drafted, while Justin Blackmon was taken fifth overall in 2012. Gabbert was traded to San Francisco for a sixth-round pick in 2014, though he looks like an all-pro compared to Blackmon.

Second-year receiver Ace Sanders is facing a four-game suspension and took a leave of absence from the team due to "personal issues," according to a report from J.P. Shadrick of Jaguars.com.

If Shorts has to miss any regular-season games, the Jaguars will enter the year with a rookie, Marqise Lee, as their top receiver.

With Blackmon's NFL future practically nonexistent, Shorts has stepped up and appears to be Jacksonville's No. 1 wide receiver. His presence is going to be vital for the development of rookie quarterback Blake Bortles, so losing "several weeks" of practice time is going to throw everyone's timing and development off.